12 April 2014

The Swinhoe’s pheasant is a member of the Phasianidae family and is a protected species endemic to Taiwan. A quick and nimble bird, it inhabits the floor of broadleaf forests between 300 and 2,300 meters in elevation. This pheasant has a small population in a limited range which is shrinking due to habitat degradation. Logging is a problem. Some populations are secure within protected areas, but others may be declining. It was hunted in the past and some populations were extirpated in the 1960s and 1970's. Today its global population is estimated to be over 10,000 individuals.